Three Cups of Tea-, Mrs. Ott's 7th Grade Humanities Class [reading comprehension books .TXT] 📗

The Destiny Not Avoided

By Jonny and Elizabeth

Innovation based on Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken"
Two trails intersected in a snowy daze
And I stood pondering which to take
A choice that stuck with my for days
Staring down in to that haunting haze
Still frozen with my decision yet to make

Made the decision, not taken lightly
As destiny starred me straight in the eye
I felt I had chosen rightly
To which my decision I held on tightly
My feet carried me on as the mountains rolled by

A brightly lit place shinned far away
As I neared closer, I saw no lights at all
But brightly lit faces that made night seem day,
Triggered a voice in my head that told me I was destined to stay
This small, poor civilization standing oh-so tall

There I drank my third cup of tea
The thought of helping echoing in my mind
The kids scratching in the ground stared back at me
I had finally looked passed what my eyes could see
A second family I surely did find

The Mountain Not Climbed

By Lindsay F., Darby B., and Kevin M

Two trails diverged in a snowy wonderland
And sorry I could not stay determined
And be one climber, necklace in hand
I gave in to nature, I could not withstand
I was beaten by the snow and wind

So I took the other, just as fair
And being perhaps the better way
I found my way to Korphe, in need of love and care
And they gave me everything they had to share
A bright future for Korphe started that day

The days ahead did not seem bright
The children’s future seemed bleak and black
I made a decision that fateful night
Knowledge will show the children the light
I just knew I had to come back

And with their leader I shared three cups of tea
Though it seems like ages ago
The promise I made means so much to me
I would return to Korphe and Haji Ali
When I returned that small village would have a school to show

By Josh E.

Two trails diverged between glaciers so cold.
I wanted to take the one I did not think.
And being one traveler, no time to grow old.
By now time as valuable as gold.
The light in the sky beginning to shrink.

The first path led to Asclade.
But at first I did not know.
This road to the river I see.
Thinking of where I wanted to be.
On the mountain with the necklace of yellow.

I looked to the other, and I think it won.
When I saw the children in the dirt.
I could help so many instead of one.
But standing there in the sun.
I could choose for my sister's memory to be hurt.

I now look up at the sky.
I was weak but now rejoice.
The kids learn and are not shy
I said I'd return and did not lie.
I know I made the right choice.

by Anna F. and Arielle V.

In life, there are two split roads,
One of wisdom, and one of fun.
The wise road teaches things an enlightened person knows,
The other's joy is only temporary for those who chose.
But in the end, happiness only comes to the takers of one.

For those who take the first,
for a while, the road is easy to take.
But the truth soon sets in, and quickly you find the path you walk is the worse.
Though the other seems much harder, it's only what of it you make,
and you'll find in the long run the path you take is the one not cursed.

Greg Mortenson was on a mountain all alone,
Lost and hungry in a cold, snowy place.
He tried to find his way back on his own,
And went to Korphe instead of where he was shown
Where he finally found a kind human face.

And Greg took the road to which the wise always tend,
for against all warnings, he still had to try.
the happiness of others is a reward in the end,
so Greg took the road less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference.

By Justin G.
The path intersected into two
But the trail to take was not clear
Korphe was poorer than anything I knew
But money does not come out of the blue
To raise the money I'd use sweat and tears

I went to the US and wrote lots of letters
But money was not coming in
Mom's school raised the money and I'm in debt to her
I also gave up my possessions for the better
Then finally my luck would begin

A scientist gave me the 12 grand I would need
To buy a school for Korphe
And make sure the kids were able to read
And buy Pencils to write the word bead
For this I would get cups of tea

I took the charitable and right path to take
And I helped a lot of children
Happy faces are what I did make
Somebody had to do it for goodness sake
Some suffering would finally end


By Melanie and Samantha

A great white plain atop a mountain.
I have no idea where to go.
All alone my journey mundane
I looked around and saw a man who seemed humane
He offered to carry my load.

I didn't make it to the top
I climbed down feeling I was insane
It was cold and hard to not sit down and stop
I made it through the freezing cold just about ready to flop
I found I was lost again.

I made my way and found a road of dirt and followed not on my gig
I went on to find greenery and life, my appearance compared quite cad
There were trees with fruits- apricot and fig
The women cowered and backed away, the children came with eyes big
They gave me shelter, food, and warmth. That was all they had

I saw the children on their own having school in the yard
I made a promise to build a school and left with determination
My attempt to do so was long and hard
But I returned successful, the children able to learn- their eyes unbarred
I now have a new dedication

By Eleri G. and Henry L.


Two trails diverge in a snowy mountain range,
So I stumbled down one, exhausted, and became lost.
All the villagers thought I was strange,
And then my perspective on life suddenly changed.
That moment, in my heart, there was a bridge that was crossed.

These people welcomed me,
When I was weak and sick.
They treated me like family,
And warmed me up with three cups of tea.
So I promised to build a school brick by brick.

In Korphe, I lived for a while,
The people taught me their culture and trades.
I was amazed by their lifestyle.
And when it was time to leave, I was in denial,
I hoped my memory of the people wouldn't fade.

At first I felt like I had failed,
When I found Korphe instead of K2.
But actually, I had prevailed.
And then a new mission had just set sail.
And thinking of Christa, I thought, "I'm doing this for you."

The Biggest Mountain

By Jazzy K.
At the beginning, I thought I knew for a fact
That I'd make it to the summit without getting lost
But then I got so tired, I had to turn back
Since of all energy I did lack
But I would still honor my sister at any cost

At first, burrying the necklace was everything to me
But then, I found a more important mountain to climb
With each cup of tea, I started to see
The importance of building a school for Korphe
And to do it, I'd have to save every dime

To get funding, I had to beg and plead
I sent 580 letters with only one reply
No one thought I'd really suceed,
So they kept their money out of greed
Then, I few people gave me money just to help me try

Finally, I had just enough funds
And returned to build a school in Korphe
Although I had only enough money for one,
I had dreams of more to come;
I was welcomed back with a third cup of tea.


The Road Not Taken
By Mac S., Hannah A., and Madison K.

Two paths diverged in a mountain side
One led south, while one led west
The road west my own eyes denied
To the south I went, my soul had died
Soon, though, I figured out the road I chose was not best

When nearing a freezing end
I spotted a figure, a man on a boulder
Mouzafer, who would be my helpful friend
We took the road west, my heart began to mend
However to a scene of uneducated children I became a beholder

A school, I knew was needed there
Because the children only had dirtt and sticks
A great promise, yes I knew, strangers money
They would have to share
Giving them a school would only be fair
One like ours, with classrooms out of bricks

As I left, I looked around once more, to the village of Korphe
A group of poor folks, who managed to thrive
The children walking around quite happily
I would go, and listen to their plea
To build a school for kids of Korphe, was my reason to be alive

The End of the Road

By Ishani M. and Jacob Z.

Two roads diverged in a snowy place
And sorry I could not travel both
And be the one traveler the longer I face
And look back as far as I trace
To where it was blocked in the undergrowth

Then took the other, not as fair
Not having the better claim
Not grassy and was full of wear
But at the end of the road it lay there
The village of Korphe. soon to be famed

And that moment I will say
I saw no place for a school
No place for a child's rule
How uncool
That it had to be this way

So I built a school for Korphe
And some other places as well
My grandchildren, and lead them out of their shell
My life has been completed today.

Two paths diverged on a steep hill,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood still
And look down one as far as I will
To where the mountains had no growth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was tough and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
On stones no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two paths diverged on a mountain and I-
Took the one less traveled by,


by Lindsey W.
Two paths diverged on a steep hill,
And sorry